Carney says Wilmington protesters inciting violence 'were not from here,' gives few details

Citing unspecified "police intelligence," Gov. John Carney on Monday blamed out-of-state actors for escalating Saturday's police brutality protest in Wilmington, mentioning that a Washington state resident instigated one incident intending to provoke violence.

He stated repeatedly in an interview with Delaware Online/The News Journal that many who participated in the protest, largely peaceful all day before turning into vandalism and looting in downtown Wilmington at night, "were not from here."

Carney gave few details when asked.

"I can’t share law enforcement or police intelligence, but I do know of an unlawful thing that happened on Saturday night that was designed to create a larger, more violent outburst that was perpetrated by somebody that was from the state of Washington," he said.

Neither he nor law enforcement spokespeople, when asked, specified the incident.

BACKGROUND:Wilmington assesses damage inflicted by George Floyd protests Saturday night

"We have open investigations regarding individuals engaged in criminal activity on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, which are ongoing at this time," Wilmington Police spokesman David Karas wrote in an email. 

There's no indication the person has been arrested.

Karas said four people were arrested in the city Sunday morning, all from Wilmington. Two were arrested on charges of burglary, shoplifting and criminal mischief, and the other two are accused of resisting arrest.

Delaware State Police Master Cpl. Melissa Jaffe wrote in an email that "I do not have any information regarding" Carney's statement. 

Carney said police at the scene of the protests were told to exercise restraint, "to not get sucked into what these activists, these anarchists, these Antifa folks want, which is to provoke violence."

He said those protesters took advantage of the outrage of Delaware's black residents over everyday racism and the use of police force on black Americans.

"They just want anarchy and lawlessness, and they want to provoke the police into an altercation and they suck up folks locally with the rage," Carney said. "It’s heartbreaking, frankly, and infuriating."

The question of whether protests in response to the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police are being instigated by so-called outside agitators has arisen around the nation. 

BACKGROUND:Wilmington protest held in response to George Floyd's death: Watch

Since last week, protests have erupted in numerous U.S. cities over the killing. Some have turned violent, while in many cities police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets on protesters and journalists. 

U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr on Saturday said that "groups of outside radicals and agitators are exploiting the situation to pursue their own separate and violent agenda."

Many in Wilmington have also blamed those from out-of-state or outside the city for Saturday night's escalation. Nationwide, some activists say focusing on that theory distracts from the protests for civil rights. 

Carney said the state's law enforcement will learn more about those alleged agitators' "techniques." He said those include using firecrackers and setting fires.

"There were diversionary outbreaks around the city, to divert resources from the downtown area to neighborhoods and Trolley Square and other places," Carney said.

Jeanne Kuang covers Wilmington for The News Journal. Contact her at jkuang@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2476. Follow her on Twitter at @JeanneKuang.